Cambodian women, as they seek beauty in a time of wealth, are putting themselves at risk with unskilled surgeons, doctors say. (31 March 2009)In Beauty Salons, a Rising Danger
By Win Thida, VOA Khmer
Original report from Phnom Penh
31 March 2008
Srey Mom lies on a bed, covered in white tissue, in a room of a Phnom Penh cosmetic salon. The 50-year-old keeps still, as a beautician anesthetizes old tattoo marks under both eyebrows. And then the beautician begins her work, with an electric tattoo gun, its sharp needle darting.
The needle quickly pricks the skin, and small droplets of blood arise from the brows. Tears fall as Srey Mom struggles to remain patient.
This is just one example of procedures undertaken by more Cambodian women, as they seek beauty in a time of wealth.
Such procedures, including cosmetic surgery and breast enhancements, have especially come in vogue over the past year. But they are not always safe, health officials say.
"Because I want to be beautiful, and because I'm getting older," Srey Mom gives as explanation, once the procedure is done. "My eyes were drooping, so I wanted to have an operation. And my natural nose was too big. And I want these to be more beautiful."
Srey Mom, who comes from Siem Reap, says she has had to run from one salon to another, because the first two did a bad job. This is her third attempt.
Some salon owners see these operations as a sign of Cambodia's emergence into the modern world. But such practices by unskilled beauticians can be dangerous, health officials say.
Sunn Sary, a doctor and head of the department of hospitals at the Ministry of Health, said recently more and more salons have opened in Cambodia, though the ministry does not keep a registry.
Only some of these shops have trained beauticians or surgeons, and unskilled operations can lead to long-term problems, he said, including cancer.
The Ministry of Health, meanwhile, is seeking to get a better handle on the practice and will begin enforcing restrictions on salons by the end of 2008.
"People don't have enough awareness about beautification, and they don't learn about the dangers of the practice," Sunn Sary said. "These people cannot see the danger of the present moment, so they are eager to follow, one person after the other. But the consequence is in the future."
The needle quickly pricks the skin, and small droplets of blood arise from the brows. Tears fall as Srey Mom struggles to remain patient.
This is just one example of procedures undertaken by more Cambodian women, as they seek beauty in a time of wealth.
Such procedures, including cosmetic surgery and breast enhancements, have especially come in vogue over the past year. But they are not always safe, health officials say.
"Because I want to be beautiful, and because I'm getting older," Srey Mom gives as explanation, once the procedure is done. "My eyes were drooping, so I wanted to have an operation. And my natural nose was too big. And I want these to be more beautiful."
Srey Mom, who comes from Siem Reap, says she has had to run from one salon to another, because the first two did a bad job. This is her third attempt.
Some salon owners see these operations as a sign of Cambodia's emergence into the modern world. But such practices by unskilled beauticians can be dangerous, health officials say.
Sunn Sary, a doctor and head of the department of hospitals at the Ministry of Health, said recently more and more salons have opened in Cambodia, though the ministry does not keep a registry.
Only some of these shops have trained beauticians or surgeons, and unskilled operations can lead to long-term problems, he said, including cancer.
The Ministry of Health, meanwhile, is seeking to get a better handle on the practice and will begin enforcing restrictions on salons by the end of 2008.
"People don't have enough awareness about beautification, and they don't learn about the dangers of the practice," Sunn Sary said. "These people cannot see the danger of the present moment, so they are eager to follow, one person after the other. But the consequence is in the future."
8 comments:
Nature is the way to go if one can avoid cosmetic surgical [permanent tatoo eyebrows, nose job, breast enlargement Etc..] which is costly and can be harmfull if having not carried out by proper and competent provider.
OMG, the Khmer culture is wiped out by Ah Xam Rainxy!
make sure these businesses are properly licensed and inspected my ministry of health. there ought to be a board of cosmetic surgery business set up in cambodia because accident can happen and consumers must be protected and should be able to sue the businesses that caused accidental deformity, etc, just in case because accidence can and do happened ocassionally in cosmetic surgery. i hope cambodian people who want to get cosmetic surgery are careful about it, although it is cheap to get one in cambodia, however, it's not worth a permanent defect if accidence did occur. i hope someone is enforcing this business to get proper licensing, etc.
"Seek beauty in a time of wealth."?
Well, A lot of time in the Western countries where competition is fierce in getting a job, in getting a mate, be socially acceptable in public or at work...and for being look young and beautiful offer by the cosmetic procedure which can give the person an edge in the competition! And in Cambodia it might be the same situation but then again a very few dirt poor Cambodian women can afford such cosmetic procedure and to those Cambodian women who can afford and they will be the guinea pig because the cosmetic procedure are done by foreign doctors with questionable background!
Please be warned that Cambodia is still a third world country and the Cambodian leaders still have third world mentality and anything you want to do in Cambodia is at your own risk!
Wrong, you got third world mentality, not us. It is a lot harder to run an undeveloped country than a developed country. If you don't see that, I say you are as blind as a bat.
the way i see it is that everyone is entitled to their opinions. you've got one, and i'm sure i've gotten one, too, and so does everyone else out there. so there!
I didn't say you are not entitled to your own opinion. All I am saying is you got bad opinion, and they were opinion like those of Hollywood or those of Ah Khmer-Yuon Maggot Feeders. Get it?
To 7:43AM
Youn-Khmer Maggot Feeder? Get it and it is your mother!
Post a Comment